Western Sydney MP defends Gillard visit

Updated
February 26, 2013 18:24:00

The Labor backbencher Michelle Rowland says Julia Gillard is a regular visitor to Western Sydney, who'll be welcome during her latest visit. She says the Prime Minister will have a chance to sell the choice facing voters at the next election.

MARK COLVIN: The outer metropolitan western Sydney seat of Greenway is one of the most marginal in the country.

Labor backbencher Michelle Rowland holds it with a wafer-thin margin of 0.09 per cent.

Ms Rowland says Julia Gillard is a regular visitor to Western Sydney and that next week's trip is not simply a 'fly-in, fly-out' exercise.

She told chief political correspondent Sabra Lane, that she believed the Prime Minister would get a good reception.

MICHELLE ROWLAND: I think she'll get an opportunity to give people a very clear choice about Labor's policy and vision for the future, I think when people hear about what we're proposing to do as a government and what we have done compared to the Opposition then people will have a very clear choice and I think she will execute the cases for those policy areas very well.

SABRA LANE: Why is the Prime Minister choosing western Sydney for five days and why is she basing herself there and not Kirribilli?

MICHELLE ROWLAND: Well it's something that I personally have wanted to happen for quite a while Sabra. She is a regular visitor to my part of the world but I think that it is very important to the people to know that this isn't just a 'fly-in, fly-out' opportunity for the Prime Minister.

I think it's also very important for people to know that she is listening and I think that it's important for people to know that she is accessible.

SABRA LANE: The party headquarters will also be based out in western Sydney for the election campaign. Given that the Prime Minister is also heading out to western Sydney for five days - is this a belated attempt to woo back voters?

MICHELLE ROWLAND: Look I don't think there's anything belated about it Sabra. I mean I've known exactly where the seat of Greenway sits on the pendulum. I've known that since the 21st of August last year. So this is business as usual as far as I'm concerned and it is perfectly logical in an election year for the... you know the processes of the party to actually you know get out, get moving on the ground.

Putting all that aside again I just repeat you know it's quite obvious from what I've been hearing and the questions that I've been getting asked from journalists that you know as far as the Libs are concerned they think western Sydney is in the bag. They think the electorate of Greenway is in the bag.

Well I don't take anything for granted and anyone who wants to commit the sin of hubris is welcome to do that but as far as I'm concerned... I mean I was born here, I grew up here, I built my first home here. I'm raising my family here.

This is my community and this is my life and this is the reason I went into public life to make it better for everyone including not just myself but for everyone around me.

You know people like to talk about Labor losing its narrative you know as far as I'm concerned I live the narrative every day.

SABRA LANE: The former Labor powerbroker Graham Richardson says that he thinks that this is a lost cause. That five days in Rooty Hill will not be enough and he says in fact the Prime Minister's presence there may well have the opposite effect on wooing voters.

MICHELLE ROWLAND: Oh look I think those comments ignore the fact that the local members have been working extremely hard delivering for their communities not just like you know we go to Canberra and sit around. I spend most of my time knocking on doors and annoying ministers to support local projects when I'm in Canberra.

I spend most of my time raising issues that are vitally important to people that you would otherwise never hear about.

So I think it ignores two things. It ignores the incredible amount of work that goes into being a local MP and I'm a first term MP, I was in local government before this but I can tell you that I've never been closer to the people in my role as a federal MP as I was as a local councillor.

And I think the other thing that those comments ignore is that the Prime Minister's been a very regular, not only visitor but a very regular... very regularly in tune with what is going on in with western Sydney.

She's acutely aware of cost of living issues which is why we've implemented polices to assist that.

SABRA LANE: So has Graham Richardson got it wrong here? I mean he has made a living out of the fact that he is well connected and he usually makes calls that are pretty close to the mark has he got it wrong here?

MICHELLE ROWLAND: Look he's perfectly entitled to his views but if he chooses to take that point of view go ahead but you know I don't see him standing next to me at a train station at 5.30 in the morning meeting and greeting commuters.